McLEAN, Va., Nov. 17, 2014 — (PRNewswire) — USA TODAY announces the launch of The Buzz, a mobile app that delivers customized news to the digital-first generation of students across the country. A first-of-its kind, The Buzz reinvents campus news by offering college students access to targeted and relevant information, incorporating national, world and personalized campus news into one, easy-to-use mobile interface. Content will be specifically gathered from USA TODAY and USA TODAY College, as well as individual college papers. Future product integration will include content from Gannett's U.S. Community Publishing newspapers and user-generated content.

The Buzz is the mobile extension of USA TODAY's celebrated Collegiate Readership Program -- which originated at Penn State in 1997 and is now present at over 350 campuses -- combining USA TODAY's rich tradition of delivering news and information on the national and local level with the inclusion of a robust digital product. Designed and tailored specifically for each individual school, The Buzz app lets readers search their national, regional, and campus news – most of which is student written, tapping into more than 3,000 USA TODAY College contributors –  by topic areas such as news, sports, tech and opinion.

"When we first launched the Collegiate Readership Program, our goal was to encourage global awareness, media literacy and civic engagement among university students," said Derek Murphy, executive vice president and general manager for USA TODAY. "The Buzz is a natural progression of that program, re-imagined for the way students are consuming and sharing news today. By working individually with each school, we are able to create a highly relevant personalized product that increases our engagement with this coveted audience."  

The Buzz is available on iOS and Android platforms, and also offers the ability to share stories via social channels, e-mail and text message.

Among the first wave of schools to launch are the following:

• University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
• University of Wisconsin Steven's-Point
• Texas A&M-Kingsville
• Sam Houston State University
• Carnegie Mellon University 
• Montgomery County Community College
• Villanova University 
• Syracuse University

About USA TODAY
USA TODAY is a multi-platform news and information media company. Founded in 1982, USA TODAY's mission is to serve as a forum for better understanding and unity to help make the USA truly one nation. Through its unique visual storytelling, USA TODAY delivers high-quality and engaging content across print, digital, social and video platforms. An innovator of news and information, USA TODAY reflects the pulse of the nation and serves as the host of the American conversation — today, tomorrow and for decades to follow. USA TODAY, the nation's number one newspaper in print circulation with an average of nearly 1.8 million daily, and USATODAY.com, an award-winning newspaper website launched in 1995, reach a combined 6.6 million readers daily. USA TODAY is a leader in mobile applications with more than 16 million downloads on mobile devices. USA TODAY is owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI).

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SOURCE USA TODAY

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USA TODAY Gannett Co., Inc. Amber Allman, Director, Communications, 7950 Jones Branch Drive, McLean, VA 22108, (703) 854-5358 Email Contact Web: http://www.usatoday.com